India cricketer Mayank Agarwal's fielding stance during the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur had sparked debates. But Jonny Singer, the Laws of Cricket Advisor at the MCC, has confirmed that Mayanka's stance was fair and well within the rules of cricket.

Mayank had taken a different stance on the field to maximize catching opportunities on a pitch with a lack of bounce. He was on his knees in the slip cordon to grab the ball.

“There is nothing in the laws to prevent a fielder from fielding on his/her knees. In fact, this has become relatively common in recent years. Adopting a position on the knees, and maintaining it, is certainly not unfair,” Singer was quoted as saying in a report on Midday. 

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“If the fielder gets up or kneels down after the ball has come into play, then that might be considered to be a breach of Law 28.6.1. That would be for the umpire to decide,” he added.  

Mayank's stance as a close-in fielder wasn't liked by former India cricketer VVS Laxman, who has himself spent a lot of time in slip cordon during his playing days. Laxman felt the stance is only ideal for the ball coming in front of the fielder which shouldn't be the only expectation as it could also come sharply to the left or right side.

"Because of lack of bounce, we saw something different. We saw this same thing in Vizag when India played. A different stance to stand in gully. I don’t agree with it. 

"When you are in this position when you want to be in close-in fielding position, you need to be ready for the catches that are coming in front, right, left or above. But in this position, all you are doing is waiting for the ball that is coming in front of you, which means it is not ideal," Laxman had said on Star Sports.

(With the Inputs from Midday)